Benitez looks for Reina reunion at Napoli after Cesar trail goes cold

Napoli have launched a bid to sign goalkeeper Pepe Reina from Liverpool after failing in their pursuit of Julio Cesar.

New Napoli manager Rafa Benitez is a huge admirer of Reina and initially took him to Anfield from Villarreal in the summer of 2005 and has turned to his compatriot following the collapse of Cesar’s season long loan switch from Queens Park Rangers.

With uncertainty surrounding Reina’s position at Liverpool, Benitez is looking to take him to Naples and he can offer the 30-year-old the added incentive of Champions League football.

Target: Napoli, under new boss Rafa Benitez, have launched a bid for Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina

Reina has been a mainstay of Liverpool’s team over the past eight years and though he suffered a dip in form early in Brendan Rodgers’ reign, he finished the campaign in a positive fashion with six clean sheets in his final nine appearances.

But Rodgers’ decision to bring in Simon Mignolet from Sunderland at a cost of £9million has cast doubt on whether Reina, who is currently on holiday, would start the new season in charge of the No 1 jersey.

The Spain international, who is scheduled to join the rest of Liverpool’s squad in Melbourne on Monday, is one of the highest earners at the club and still has three years to run of his £110,000 per week contract.

Doubt: The arrival of Simon Mignolet from Sunderland has cast doubt over Reina's future at Anfield